Page 43 of The Chief
“What do you mean,bait?”
“You said whoever Grady was working for had eyes on your sister. We need to lure this person out and confirm our suspicions that the Fiach Clan really are the ones behind this mess.”
She swallowed, the motion clear against her delicate throat. “Who else could it be?”
I shrugged and smiled lazily. “Well, I don’t know, Jynx. You have a way of finding trouble, so the list could be endless.”
“Don’t be an arsehole,” she huffed, turning around.
Clutching her hips, I dragged her into the cradle of my own, letting her feel my semi-hard cock. Jynx was a puzzle I wasenjoying unraveling. “How about a dick? Would that make you feel better?”
Molly meltedagainst me, but only for a second. Then her spine straightened, and she stepped free of my hold. Without turning to face me, she murmured, “Promise me that my mam and sister don’t get hurt.” When I remained silent, she peered over her shoulder. “Keir?”
“I don’t make promises I can’t keep, Jynx, but I swear I’ll do my best to protect you all. I’ll need you to play along until we get the answers I need.”
Our eyes locked as she considered my words. Then, with a subtle shift of her head, the ice in her eyes melted. “Okay, baby,” she replied, and fuck me, that sexy purr in her voice sent more blood south. “We’ll play it your way.”
“Caitria? Tea’s ready!” her mother called from inside the kitchen. “We’ll take it in the sitting room.”
Molly led the way deeper inside the house, taking a door to the left, into a living room which instantly made me think of a jungle. Palm wallpaper spanned from baseboard to ceiling. Wicker chairs with large white cushions clustered around the matching lounge and indoor plants in matching wicker baskets were placed on every available surface. All that was missing was the humidity.
“Sit, please,” Nora said, taking a seat in one of the armchairs after placing a tea set down on the small table.
We both sat on the couch, though Molly tried to sit as far away from me as possible. I shot her an exasperated look, so with a grimace she shuffled closer beside me. Satisfied, I lay my arm across the back of the sofa and tangled my fingers into Molly’s dark hair. Fuck, how was it this soft?
“Tell me, how long have you two been engaged?” Nora asked, pouring us each a cup of tea before she added milk to her own.
“How long has it been, baby?” I asked Molly, stroking her hair.
She lifted her hand like she was going to swat me away, but thought better of it. “Only a few weeks,” she replied, leaning forward to retrieve her cup. My hand slipped to her shoulder with the movement, and I slid it lower until it rested on her ass. The tense set to her shoulders made me smirk, but she didn’t shove me away.
Nora, however, noticed everything and watched us with avid interest. “You two are so sweet together. I remember when your father and I first got engaged,” she said to Molly.
“Couldn’t keep your hands to yourself?” I asked playfully.
Nora smiled and took a sip of her tea. “We really couldn’t.”
“Mam!” Molly exclaimed, outraged by the thought of her parents fucking.
“Well, how do you think you got here?” Nora shot back, her eyes glittering with barely concealed humor.
“You were pregnant with me when you got married?”
She bobbed her head. “Why do you think we had such a short engagement?”
Molly’s outrage turned into a grin, and I had to admit, it looked good on her. It made her appear younger. Unfortunately, I knew all about how life wore you down and made you jaded.
“Will he be home soon?” I asked. “I think I need to meet this guy.” Nora’s shoulders drooped, and she turned her attention to her teacup. Glancing at Molly, I found tears now rimmed her eyes. “Did I say something wrong?”
Molly cleared her throat. “My da died when I was seven.”
Shit. “Sorry to hear that.”
“It was cancer,” Nora added, stretching an arm across to Molly. Molly hesitated for a moment, eventually leaning over to offer her support. Her mother clasped her hand tightly. “He gave us the best of him, though.”
Molly remained silent.
Chapter 15
